


Together at Last

by LicoricePrince



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Physical Abuse, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 12:34:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19441564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LicoricePrince/pseuds/LicoricePrince
Summary: Emil is in an abusive relationship, and it soon affects his relationship with Leon.





	Together at Last

For a period of time, it was the two of them. Leon and Emil. Best friends since elementary school, the two have done everything together.

“Hey, Em? Why do you, like, keep staring at the Senior?” The brunette asked picking at the questionable brown substance on his Styrofoam plate. Lunch at their typical average public school was weird in texture and lacked in flavor. There was a certain student that would sneak in food, but he charged a ridiculously high price for snacks. “Hmm? Oh, it is nothing important, Li.” The ivory-haired male muttered as he rested his chin against his palm. His magenta eyes seemed to be gazing at a taller figure across the room. A male with blond locks, crystal blue eyes, and a genuine smile loved by many wore a sports jersey and a pair of jeans. He was surrounded by his entourage and love interests, but none of those girls had the requirements that satisfied his needs. Only one person managed to meet his standards and captured his attention. Yet if he wanted to earn the right of claiming that cold heart, he would have to play the role of a trustworthy guy.

Leon raised his eyebrows for he found it hard to believe the words that came out from his best friend. “You sure, because it looks like you are interested in the senior. Did my little Emil finally find himself a boyfriend?” He teased, but deep down he was suspicious. The Icelander's cheeks turned to a light shade of pink resembling oriental lilies. “No, of course not. He asked me out on a date.” He said turning back around in his seat trying to avoid sneaking another glance at the blond. Leon smirked, “Did you accept his offer?” 

“Yeah, but I do not see myself dating him,” Emil muttered, looking off towards the side. “Oh, come on, any guy would love to date you. “ The brunette shouted, causing extra eyes to look in his general direction. Caught off by the sudden compliment, Emil shifted his gaze towards Leon. “You think I am dateable?” The moment his golden-brown eyes locked onto the softer magenta pair; Leon felt his heartache. How could he look away from such a pretty and innocent face? He longed to caress that pale skin made of porcelain and to hold him close feeling their heartbeats sync. It took Leon months to realize he harbored strong feelings for the Icelander. Feelings that resembled more than wanting to be friends. Unfortunately, he waited too long and now his crush was out of his reach.

“Of course, I would never lie to you. Any guy would be lucky enough to have you as their boyfriend.” Leon put on his best fake smile to hide away his pain. The last thing he wanted was for his best friend to become worried for his well-being. 

_______

For the first couple of weeks, everything went by smoothly. Emil went on the date with the upperclassman. At first, he had zero intentions of furthering the newly founded relationship. But, he decided to take the risk and accept the request of making their relationship official. When Leon found out, he became delighted to hear someone managed to capture the cold and fragile heart that belonged to Emil. Although he only wished that he was the one that managed to steal the Icelander’s heart. Still, those suspensions were still present, and Leon could not ignore the feeling that something was bound to go wrong. 

The two were outside in the courtyard during their lunch break. Leaning against a tree, they shared a pair of headphones as a playlist on Leon’s phone played on shuffle. No disturbances, except for the occasional fights between the other students, could disrupt their alone time. With Emil leaning his head on Leon’s shoulder, the two of them could not be any closer. Nothing could ruin this perfect moment, well that is what they thought anyway. Halfway through their break period, someone walked up to the teens and stood a few feet away, blocking their view. “You do not mind if I borrow Emil, right?” The blond asks smiling as he grabbed Emil by the arm and pulled him on his feet. But before either Emil or Leon could protest, the senior had already begun to drag his boyfriend away. Leon watched as his best friend and love interest was taken away from him. While he wanted what was best for him and knew it was wrong to ruin the newfound relationship. Leon felt as if was losing the person that gave his life a meaningful purpose.

Since that day Emil and Leon spent their break on opposite sides of the school. Leon sat with his siblings in the cafeteria, and Emil was with his boyfriend and his group of friends. The atmosphere changed, and, on most days, Emil never muttered a word when he was around the new group of friends. While they talked about popular trends and gossiped about the latest rumors, he sat there, with his arms rested in his lap. Once in a while he would nod or shake his head if asked a question or for his input on the subject matter. Brett, his boyfriend and the leader of the group, always kept one arm wrapped around the Icelander’s waist. It must have been a sign of possession because he gave death glares to any soul who dared to look at Emil. Emil never questioned it, especially after the incident where he pushed his partner away for touching him in public. The result ended in a bruised wrist. 

________

Finally, Emil and Leon were able to spend quality time together without being disturbed. The two met up at the park and stopped at one of the small stalls on the side of the road to get some ice cream. After Leon paid, while ignoring the protests that escaped from the older teen, they continued on with their date. In the corner of his eye, Leon could tell that something was off with Emil. For starters, a white fluffy knitted scarf was wrapped around his neck, despite the weather being too warm for winter attire. Secondly, not only was he keeping a rather larger distance than usual, but he seemed more closed off. Those magenta eyes used to be full of life and sparkled when under the right light setting. But now they seemed dull and lifeless. His posture changed to slouched shoulders, averting eyes, and every so often his shoulders would tense up at every piercing sound. Changes that would not be noticed by a simple bystander, did not go unnoticed by Leon.

“Hey Emil, are you alright? You seem more tense than usual.” The brunette asked as he finished off his frozen treat. “Y-yeah, I am fine, Leon.” He replied, his voice still soft and angelic as it always has been. “You sure, because it seems like you are hiding something. Did Brett do something, did he hurt you?” Leon took a second glance at Emil, trying to determine if he could detect a sign that he was in trouble. Yet, Emil remained silent as he finished his ice cream and discarded the plastic cup and spoon. After brushing a loose strand of hair behind his ear, Emil tugged at the sleeves of his infamous sweater, covering up what was hiding beneath. This action caused Leon to stop in his tracks and walk in front of the silver-haired teen.

“Lift up your sleeves.” He commanded, raising the tone in his voice. His golden-brown eyes, full of concern and agony, gazed into the violet pair that were now facing downwards towards the pavement. “Please.” He pleaded as he reached out to touch the pale cheek and caress it lovingly. Figuring there was no way he could escape or ignore the subject at hand, he lifted up his sleeves revealing what he was attempting to hide from his friend. Underneath revealed skin covered in bruises varying in size and color. Some looked old, while others looked newer almost as if they appeared recently.

“Who did this to you? Please, tell me what is going on Em. I have not seen you in so long, and have grown worried for your safety. “ Leon began asking one question after the next, but none of them were answered. Instead, Emil shook his head. “I am responsible for these; you do not need to waste your time worrying about me.” He replied, finally making eye contact and even putting on a fake smile. 

“No. I do not believe that lie even for a second. You may be a klutz at times, but I know for a fact that you would never have this many bruises on your arms. Now, please tell me what is actually going on.” 

Before their conversation could continue any further, Emil’s phone went off. He answered it as he began to walk off towards the shaded area.

“I told you earlier that I would be hanging out with Leon for the afternoon.”

“Yes, he is aware.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Of course, I love you.”

“Alright, I will be there soon.”

Emil ended the phone call before sliding the phone into his back pocket and walked over to the Asian. “Hey, I have to go. Brett wants me to come home.” 

“Already? Does he not trust you? Fine, I will see you at school.” Leon wrapped his arms around Emil and hugged him gently before letting go.

“Yeah, see you at school.” 

_________

Lately, Emil showed signs of changes. Instead of his normal sweaters that hugged his body loosely, he now wore tighter and flashier attire. He also looked thinner than usual, almost too thin. Emil and Leon also began to hang out less, which increased the distance between the two of them. The two rarely spoke to one another and Leon was never able to get within a close diameter of Emil without having his boyfriend glued to his side. Their routine remained the same. Leon ate lunch with his siblings, and Emil was forced to spend time with Brett.

‘Hey, you busy this weekend?’ Leon sends a text to Emil as he laid across his bed. He was hoping to spend time with Emil since the two have not spoken much for the past two months. A reply is received no later than two minutes later, and it was not the answer he was looking for. ‘Yeah, sorry. Brett asked me to meet him somewhere on Saturday. On Sunday, my brother and I are going hiking for “brother bonding time”. I am starting to think he is using it as an excuse to get me out of the house.’

Leon chuckled at the text message, but deep down he was annoyed that once again his best friend was being stolen away from him. This feeling of jealousy and anger filled his core causing his heart to ache. If only he confessed sooner, he would be the one going on a date with his precious Emil. Sighing, he began to type out his next reply. ‘Sounds fun, have fun with that~.’

Emil smiled at the reply and set his phone down on the nightstand before crawling under the covers. His whole body ached with every toss and turn. New bruises appeared on his flesh, except instead of tainting his wrists, they covered his neck, back, and torso. Due to the excruciating pain, it took him a minimum of two hours to finally close his eyes only to dream of being with a certain brunette. Emil wished he never agreed to be with Brett, but it helped keep the mind of his crush. Falling in love with your best friend is never easy, especially if one does not know if those same feelings will be returned. To keep those feelings from being revealed, Emil kept a lock on his heart and put on a facade. 

_______

Flashback

“You little bitch, I thought I made myself clear when I said that you are not allowed to hang around that piece of shit,” Brett growled, as he cornered Emil into the corner. The Icelander was terrified and stuttered as he tried to form a sentence. “I-I am s-sorry! I j-just wanted to s-see and h-hang out w-with him.” Emil fought the tears that began to fall from his eyes. He did not dare to look at the older male who stood before him. The blond clenched his fists before sending one flying and coming into contact with his partner’s face. 

“You fucking whore, I made it clear that you are mine! Do not ever let me catch you around him again, or do I need to remind you who owns you.” He smirked, as he walked closer towards his prey closing the distance between them. “N-no, please. S-s-stop.” Emil pleased and tried to fight back against his attacker, but it was useless. He was a weakling incapable of defending himself and would rely on others for protection. A leach that latched onto others and would throw themselves at any eye-candy that came their way. 

That night Emil lost something precious he vowed would only be given to the one he cherished. Curled up under the covers, the victim of an unlawful act cried himself to sleep. Meanwhile, Brett, the predator walked the streets with a smirk across his face. He was satisfied with his work and adored the fact that he was able to ease his way in into the Icelander's life. Over time he was able to change Emil into what he deemed was the perfect toy. A toy that would obey every command and do whatever it took to satisfy his master's need. It was almost too easy, and now he had broken the poor boy beyond compare. Eventually, Brett was going to set his prey free and once that boy gained his freedom back, there would be no reverting him back to his original state. 

End of flashback

________

That night Leon needed to clear his head and went on a nightly drive. Getting into his vehicle, he started the engine and drove to whatever the road let him. There was so much on his mind, making it almost impossible to think. He wanted, no he needed, to know how Emil was doing. He needed the reassurance his favorite person was alright, but not being able to see Emil made him feel timid.

Maybe it was because it was late at night, but to his right, there was a small figure sitting on the bench next to the bus stop. Figuring it was a runaway, Leon pulled over and got out of his Corvette to see if he could provide any assistance. Stepping closer, the brunette was able to get a better glimpse. The silver hair and small frame were one of a kind and Leon knew only one person who could bear those same features. “Emil?” He asked, his voice soft and soothing as he reached out to touch the other, but soon regretted his actions.

Puffy magenta eyes looked up meeting a softer golden-brown pair. “L-Leon?” His voice cracked, as he continued to shake vigorously. Leon took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around Emil before helping him stand up.

“Shh, it is alright Emil. I am here, now let’s get you somewhere safe.” He helped Emil get into the passenger's side and put on his seat belt before climbing into the driver's seat. Then he began to start the car and drive back to his place.

Upon arriving back to his place, Emil took a seat in the living room. Leon went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of hot chocolate for Emil and a cup of tea for himself. Once it was finished, he handed over the white mug to Emil and took a seat across from him on the sofa. For a while, there was complete silence. Leon knew that he should refrain from asking questions, but he still needed answers. Emil looked exhausted and on the verge of passing out. So, he decided that it could wait till morning. For now, he would lend a shoulder to cry on and a bed to sleep in. 

The next morning, Leon made breakfast for the two of them and waited until noon to ask Emil what happened. “I ended my relationship with Brett, but he did not take it very well. I ran as far away as I could to avoid him catching me.” Emil said as he looked down at his lap and focused on his fingers. “Did he hurt you? It is okay if you do not want to tell me anything else. I understand you are not feeling well enough to open up.” 

Emil shook his head, “No, I should at least let you know what happened and inform you why I was unable to spend time with you.” He took a deep breath and exhaled before telling Leon about what happened between him and Brett. “Brett was abusive, both physically and emotionally. Those bruises on my wrist were his doing and-“ Emil paused his statement as memories began to flood into his mind causing him to breakdown in tears. Leon ran to his aid and rubbed his shoulders in comfort. “Hey, you can stop for now.” Yet Emil only shook his head, “N-no, I can m-manage. I at least w-want to tell you.”

He waited until the tears stopped before continuing on with his story. “He left other bruises as well, but that was not the worst part. He a-also f-forced h-himself on m-me.” Again, more tears fell, and Emil shielded his eyes to cover up his shame. He felt dirty and could still feel every touch and mark left on his body. Leon was left speechless. He had a feeling that Emil was being used, but he had no idea that it would be this severe. Not wanting his friend to feel alone, Leon wrapped his arms around the crying teen and held him close. Emil cried into Leon’s shirt as Leon rubbed his back hoping to calm him down. It was going to take a while for Emil to get over this traumatic event, but he was not going to be alone. He had Leon there to support him, and when the right moment arrives Leon will confess to his sweetheart and the two of them will finally get the happy ending they deserve.


End file.
